Jon Machota, Cowboys beat writer for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, answered your questions about the team in a live chat recently. Here are the highlights:

Other than DeMarcus Lawrence, which of their free agents should the Cowboys place the most priority on re-signing?

For me, I'd rank the top 5 as ...

DeMarcus LawrenceDak PrescottAmari CooperEzekiel ElliottByron Jones

Zeke is their most valuable player, but he's under contract through 2019 and actually 2020 because they would certainly pick up his fifth-year option.

Do you think Travis Frederick will be able to return at the start of next season?

I think he will. Everything I've seen and heard over the last month is trending in a very good direction. Just seeing him running again before games has been huge. There was a time when he looked to be having trouble just walking. He looks much more like his old self. He's on track to return next year and should be able to continue playing at a high level.

With the Eagles season also coming to an end at the hands of the Saints, do you think the Cowboys are the NFC East favorites going into next season?

I'd say they'll be right there with the Eagles. I'd put Washington third and the Giants fourth. Now having written that, the Giants will win the division. Anyway, the biggest thing the Cowboys have working against them is that it's now up to 14 years since anyone repeated as NFC East champs. But looking at their expected returning roster, with a good possibility that Travis Frederick is back playing at a Pro Bowl level, there's no reason to think the Cowboys couldn't win the division back to back seasons.